


The Call

by meggiewrites



Category: Men's Football RPF
Genre: Best Friends, Confessions, Developing Relationship, M/M, Manu acting like a Teenage Girl, Mats is a Lazy Bastard, Phone Calls & Telephones
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-11
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2020-06-26 09:01:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19764925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meggiewrites/pseuds/meggiewrites
Summary: It has been almost two years since Benedikt and Manuel rekindled their friendship and since Manu came out to him, when Bene gets a phone call early one Monday morning.Or, Manu is in love. Bene is the best friend who is there to tell him 'I told you so'.





	The Call

**Author's Note:**

  * For [maxverstappens](https://archiveofourown.org/users/maxverstappens/gifts).
  * Inspired by [the days we've been waiting for](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18610972) by [maxverstappens](https://archiveofourown.org/users/maxverstappens/pseuds/maxverstappens). 



> A little gift/sequel piece to a lovely fic of Martha's I wrote quite a while ago! I feel like it was finally time to get this published because I absolutely ADORE their friendship ^^ It's not long, but I hope you all (and ESPECIALLY Martha, of course) enjoy it! Unbeta'd, as usual.

Bene is still in bed when his phone rings. In all fairness, he would have gotten up a while ago if Mats wasn’t clinging to him like an octopus, but as it is, he’s currently stuck.

Nevertheless, since he before has been lazily scrolling through instagram, he almost drops his phone on his face the second it starts blaring. Bene winces and Mats grumbles in his sleep, curling up tighter but thankfully letting go of his husband’s torso in the process – or at least, he loosens his grip enough so Bene can slip out if his arms and escape to the hallway before Marina and the Diamonds wake up Mats, their dog _and_ their neighbours.

As he scrambles to answer, Bene doesn’t even check the caller before picking up, but hisses at the bright sunlight seeping through the curtains like a sleep-deprived vampire.

“Yeah?” he mumbles, realizing he’s still half-asleep.

“THOMAS BROKE UP WITH LISA!!!”

Manu is yelling so loudly you could have heard him a meter away from the phone, so that Bene winces holds it away from his ear. For a wild second he wonders why the hell _that_ made Manu get so excited – but then he remembers.

“Oh?” he manages, and he just wants to follow it up with another question but Manu doesn’t even leave him any time to speak.

“I mean technically, they just separated. Thomas has moved all his stuff to the guest bedroom, he told me just now at breakfast. He’s quite – well maybe not _happy_ about it but he doesn’t seem to care that much. It was all amicable of course, they’ve just fallen out of love.

Bene chuckles at the evident glee in Manu's voice. His friend seems almost out of breath, unused to talking so much all at once.

“Yeah?” Bene asks, “so a best case scenario for you then?”

He hears Manu fumble.

“I mean … yeah. Is it – is it weird that I’m so excited about this? He’s a good friend of mine, I should be sad that he broke up with someone he used to love so much, not … god. And I like Lisa, I really do–”

“Manu,” Bene interrupts his nervous rambling. “You're fine. ‘Used to’ is the important part here. Also how could I fault you? Your crush is single now! That’s a reason to celebrate, don’t you think?”

After that, Manu is silent for a while before finally sighing. “Yeah, I’m- no, you’re right. God, I sound like a teenage girl, I’m so sorry.” He almost sounds a little panicked.

Bene laughs softly. “As said, you’re fine. Actually, it’s nice hearing you actually _talk_ about it. I mean, I knew but I didn’t _know_ , you know?”

Manu winces. “Sorry ‘bout that. It’s just – it’s Thomas. He’s–” – Benni can vividly picture Manu’s blush in that very moment – “I just,” – his voice turns desperate – “I’m so in love with him, Benni, it’s driving me insane.”

Then, a memory rises in Bene’s mind, of Manu and Thomas last November at International Break, Thomas talking animatedly, disclosing his opinion to everyone in hearing distance, Manu sitting right next to him, unsuccessfully trying to hide how completely entranced he was.

Yes, when you knew what to look for, Manu’s infatuation was all but obvious.

He gets pulled out of it when Manu sighs deeply.

“Well, it’s not like it matters. He’s still straight, I guess I’ll just have to suck it up and wait for the day he turns up with a new girlfriend.”

He sounds so crestfallen that Bene desperately wants to give him a hug, but considering they're separated by half a country and several hundred miles, that’s hardly a possibility; so he opts for the next best thing.

“Manu. Don’t give up so easily. It’s Thomas, he’s a total wildcard if nothing else. I wouldn’t be so sure. Also, I mean – we know that he likes you. A whole big lot.”

Manu snorts.

“As a _friend_.”

Bene huffs. “Well maybe – but who says that that couldn’t be a good foundation for something more?”

Manu laughs drily. “God, Höwedes, stop giving me hopes. My little gay heart can’t take it. Imagine if …” he sighs wistfully. Then, he pauses, before deciding to change the topic. “How have _you_ been doing? Is Mats still having issues with Tuchel?”

“He … yeah, they don’t exactly see eye to eye.” Bene chews on his bottom lip. “Actually, I wouldn’t be surprised if he tried to join your lot this summer. I mean, he hasn’t said anything yet, but I can tell by the look in his eyes, I can see how discontent he is, always on edge. He’s always so annoyed when he returns from training when it used to relax him.”

“Oh,” Manu says. “Yeah, I mean – we could certainly make use of him but. What do _you_ think about it?”

Bene sighs. “I don't want him to go. Obviously. We’ve never done long distance, and I’m not looking forward to trying it. But if it's what makes him happy – happier – god, he hasn’t smiled a genuine smile in what feels like weeks.”

Manu hums. In the background, Bene hears Mats finally stumbling out of bed, so he sighs, playing with the edge of his shirt.

“Listen, Manu.” His friend hums, and Bene smiles. “Don’t give up on Thomas. I really think you could have a chance. A small one, maybe, but it’s there, and hell, I think you two would be great as a couple. Keep me updated, alright?”

He can almost hear Manu’s tentative grin.

“Okay.”

“Now,” – in the bedroom, Mats curses as he trips over something, likely the pair of jeans thrown haphazardly on the floor on the night before – “I’ll have to take care of that insufferable husband of mine. Take care, okay?”

Bene knows how Manu would smile at his words – wistfully, almost shily, an expression that has always been so inherently _Manu_ , and it warms Bene’s heart when the tone of his best friend’s voice is so achingly familiar.

“You too. And Bene?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks.”

And with that, Manu hangs up, and Bene is left with his phone making a low tooting noise and Mats clumsily walking up to him, wrapping his arms around his waist as he lets his head drop on Bene’s shoulder, his dark curls tickling Bene’s neck.

“Who’asthat?”

Bene chuckles softly, reaching up, ruffling his husband’s hair.

“Just Manu.”

He can feel Mats frown almost immediately, and it almost makes him smile.

“Neuer?! What did he want?”

Bene shakes his head before untangling himself from Mats’ grip, turning around in his arms. Kissing him.

“Not that important.”

And when Mats melts against his lips, his friend’s worries truly are almost forgotten.

Almost.

(It’s around two months later, when they all get together for the training camp ahead of the Euros, with the ink on Mats’ shiny new Bayern contract still wet, that Bene notices it.

Manu still acts the same around Thomas – completely smitten, often trailing after him like a lovesick puppy – but Thomas … yes, Thomas is acting differently around Manu. His smiles are warmer, they have less bite, and whenever he can, he will wrap an arm around the tall goalkeeper, prompting Manu to blush furiously. Whenever Bene listens in on their conversations, he will catch Thomas subtly complimenting Manu, or quietly talking to him without the usual mischief in his voice.

It’s all he needs to know that something has actually changed between them, and when a few weeks later, he pokes his head out of the dressing room after a successful quarterfinal against Italy, including a penalty shootout, he isn’t even that surprised when he catches a glimpse of the hero of the night, of his best friend, pressed against the cold wall of the tunnel, lips moving desperately against Thomas’.

They don’t notice him, which probably is good, and when Bene decides that he’d rather not interrupt them – and he probably could get rid of the kink in his back without their physio’s help, anyway – he grins to himself as he pulls back his head, priding himself in having been right all along.)

**Author's Note:**

> I write FICTION about real people. None of this is intended to harm them or their reputation in any way. Please leave kudos and maybe a comment if you liked it! | [tumblr](http://manuelmueller.tumblr.com/)


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